Springtime in the Desert: Borrego Springs

I think of Borrego Springs as Baja Palm Springs – all the heat without the glitz – and it’s more fun getting to. I love a Sunday drive down County Road S22 into the valley floor around the springtime. Not too hot (high 70s to 80s), dry, clean air, and you can see forever, from mountaintops to the Badlands desert wilderness.

Anza-Borrego State Park’s Visitor’s Center is a great stop, built halfway into the hillside. At the park’s Palm Canyon campground, just west of town, there’s a restroom in a native rock-walled facility, with no roof.

Unfortunately there’s no real “village” walking district, and no antique stores to browse. A lot of desert art galleries. Also, Borrego is home to the county’s largest roundabout – Christmas Circle – a grassy park in the center of town and a great place for a picnic.

Spring 2010 should be one of the best ever for wildflowers, covering the desert floor like a floral carpet. The town even has a wildflower hotline: (760) 767-4684.

On the evening of Saturday, April 3rd, liars from all over will come together for the Peg Leg Smith Liars Contest. In the mid-1800s, supposedly Mr. Smith found a huge vein of gold. Upon returning from the Assay Office in Julian, he couldn’t find it again. So now each year spinners of tall tales gather to share “true” stories about Peg Leg, and those that followed him, searching for lost gold.